MEET the Air Ambulance heroes who have been nominated for awards in excellence.

Crew members of the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance have been shortlisted in a total of three categories in this year’s Air Ambulance Awards of Excellence.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London on November 17.

Nominated members include Doctor Phil Hyde for doctor of the year and Captain Phil Merrit for Pilot of the year.

Doctor Hyde has been working with DSAA for the past two years and is a Consultant Paediatric Intensivist at the University Hospital Southampton. He has worked intensively with the aircrew paramedics to enhance their skills and knowledge.

Captain Merrit is an integral part of the DSAA team and, as well as providing a high standard of awareness of the requirements needed for critical care patients and a constant readiness to assist in all manner of situations, plays an instrumental role in providing training to other pilots.

Also nominated are Fran and Pam Eamer, who have been nominated for volunteer of the year.

The married couple, who are both aged 70, became volunteers just over four years ago, having never volunteered before.

The couple are now recognised as some of the most highly respected ambassadors for DSAA and are constantly on the go, supporting fundraising initiatives and events, attending cheque presentations and servicing around 100 charity collection boxes across the Dorset area.

Since its launch in 2000, the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance service has attended more than 10,000 incidents. Their yellow helicopter is based at Henstridge Airfield, between Sherborne and Shaftesbury on the Dorset and Somerset border and has saved many lives by rapidly transferring patients to the most suitable hospital.

Bill Sivewright, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance Chief Executive Officer said: “In highlighting individuals in this way, we hope to shine a light on the fantastic work that is done by everyone at Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. “We are all particularly proud of the fact that this has been recognised at a national level”.